The UK shines in the offices, not on the ground. It refines crypto regulation with the obsession of a tax controller. Yet, it remains timid. The adoption of this technology — promised, praised, framed — is delayed. The big maneuvers come from elsewhere. From the unexpected side. It is the far-right that slams the bank doors and enters, crypto flag in hand. Nigel Farage, the eurosceptic troublemaker, moves from the City to Web3 without blinking.
In short
Nigel Farage, leader of the far-right, unveils a bill to integrate crypto into British finance.
Reform UK now accepts donations in bitcoin and ethereum.
The project includes a national reserve of bitcoin at the Bank of England.
25% of young Britons hold crypto-assets, Farage's electoral target.
The 'Crypto Assets Bill': a digital revolution announced by the far-right.
This is not a campaign gimmick, but a thick, articulated, provocative bill. A first in British political history. Nigel Farage injects bitcoin into the arteries of the State. He wants a sovereign reserve at the central bank. Although the idea has been dismissed by the current government.
He proposes a reduced tax on crypto capital gains of 10%. He wants to prevent banks from closing accounts deemed too Web3. A two-year regulatory sandbox will serve as a springboard.
The idea? To break the locks. To make England approachable for blockchain. And above all, credible. The project is not written on a corner of the table. It adheres to a conviction. 'Bitcoin is freedom,' Farage hammers since his banking exclusion. He hasn't forgotten. He politicizes the attack. And turns his exclusion into a slogan.
No empty speeches: promises that blow you away. He claims that citizens will pay their taxes in crypto. Some laugh. Others are already downloading their crypto wallet.
Donations in bitcoin: political coup or viral scheme?
Farage is not pretending. He opens the coffers of his party to crypto-donors. Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, everything is welcome. He is not the first. But he is the first to make it an electoral pivot. Not a communication gimmick, a statement of intent. He plays the Trump card. That of the technophile outsider who speaks to the youth.
In front, the others remain stuck on the key interest rate. He talks wallet, direct donation, decentralized traceability. And that appeals. Not to analysts. To voters, yes. A quarter of young Britons have already tasted crypto. They talk about it between two stories. No need for posters, tweets do the job.
And Farage adds more. 'Crypto is freedom,' he says, jaw clenched. He knows he won't win Westminster with ICOs. But he also knows that these symbols hit home. They shake things up. They create noise. And in this campaign saturated with platitudes, noise is already a victory.
Farage candidate: populist icon or digital joker?
He's back. Again. Farage never really tires. He resurfaces, often when we least want to hear him. But this time, he returns with lines of code. Not slogans. And he speaks to the forgotten. Those who listen to YouTube more than the BBC. Those who have been unbanked, forgotten, mocked.
His angle is simple: take back control. This is no longer just a financial Brexit. It's an ideological fork. He transforms frustration into a program. And his crypto vision fits into that. In this national fatigue. This desire for rupture. This feeling that everyone is getting rich, except the English. The bullet points are not there for decoration. They speak to the instinct:
1 in 4 young Britons own crypto;
Crypto taxation would drop from 24% to 10%;
Bitcoin would enter the central bank;
Donations in crypto become legal and direct;
Banks would lose their power to turn off the tap.
Farage dives into the political void with a techno vision. Not because he believes in it. Because he senses that others do. And that he knows how to capture this vague faith that we now call 'the electorate.'
In September 2024, the UK clarified the legal status of crypto and NFTs, recognizing them as personal property. A framework, finally. But in the face of debts, doubts, disguised devaluations, what is a framework worth without action? And if the real buffer, tomorrow, was a reserve in bitcoin?